Plant · GBIF taxon 3188786
Dwarf Fireweed
Chamaenerion latifoliumAlso known as River Beauty, River Beauty Willowherb, Broad-leaved Fireweed
Dwarf Fireweed forms striking low mats of blue-green foliage and vivid magenta blooms along cold gravelly riverbeds and alpine slopes. Its thick leaves and flexible stems are perfectly built to withstand rush-of-snowmelt floods and harsh sub-Arctic winds. As autumn approaches, its seed capsules split wide to release thousands of tiny, silky-tufted seeds carried across mountain breezes.
AlpinePerennialFlowering
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Minerals
Predators
- Grizzly Bears
- Caribou
- Caterpillars
ThreatsClimate warming, habitat alteration, river channelization
HabitatsAlpine tundra, river gravel bars, talus slopes, scree
Life spanPerennial (10+ years via underground caudex)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyOnagraceae
- SpeciesChamaenerion latifolium
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for vibrant pink mats blooming along mountain river bars during midsummer.
- Photography: Use low camera angles to capture the magenta flowers against dramatic mountain scenery.
Frequent Companion Dani.j.lombardi / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Co-occurring Flora (c) Udo Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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